


Let's Trade Mistakes, 'Til They Fade Away

by Simplyveva



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: F/M, Resbang 2018, Summer AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-25 01:03:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17111519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Simplyveva/pseuds/Simplyveva
Summary: Summer is Maka’s favorite season, and not because of the weather.Every year, she looks forward to seeing Soul Evans, her best friend and summertime neighbor since she was five years old. However, this year is different because Soul desperately needs a fake girlfriend.Everyone in their friend group turns to Maka, because who else would be more qualified to play the part than his best friend in the whole world?With Maka’s help, Soul may be able to get out of this mess, even if that means putting his heart on his sleeve for the sake of the act. He just hopes they can get through this with their friendship intact. It’s easier said than done though, especially when Maka starts to feel like her heart is being put through the wringer.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Alrighty, here it is! This is my work for Resbang 2018! I had so much fun writing this, even if I wanted to rip my hair out a few times lol   
> I want to thank my betas, especially Madi, Whinnie, and Sahdah! A special thanks to mrsashketchum, aka mak, for being my resbang partner this year!!! Her art is astounding and I'm super lucky that she picked me to work with!   
> I hope you guys enjoy!!

Maka sat on her suitcase, effectively squishing down her clothes before yanking on the zipper to close it up. She couldn’t wait to finally get on the road and arrive at the summer lake house. It was a tradition that every year, Maka and her family would spend the entire summer at the lake house that was left to Maka’s mother by her own parents. After Maka’s mother died, Maka and her Papa continued the tradition, no matter how painful the first couple of years had been.   
Now though, she was freshly graduated from high school and was planning to go to Death City University in the fall. Excitement bubbled under her skin as she dragged her suitcase down the stairs and into her Papa’s car that was waiting at the end of the driveway.

Maka’s father walked out of their little home and proceeded to lock down the house for the summer. “Alright, Papa, I’m all ready to go!” Maka exclaimed, slamming the trunk door shut. 

She quickly climbed into the passenger seat as her Papa slid into the driver’s seat, also eager to get going. 

“Okay, pumpkin, let’s hit the road!” Spirit said, backing up the car and zipping down the street to head towards the highway.

Maka stared out of the window, watching all of the scenery zip past her. Her foot bounced impatiently as she thought about the rest of her friends and wondered if they had made it in yet. 

She could text them, of course, but it had been a tradition to not ask beforehand and instead keep track of who arrived first and who made it in last. They had mounted a whiteboard on the side of Soul’s tool shed so that they could sign their names as they arrived. The last person to make it to the lake house properties had to jump off of one of their decks and into the lake with all of their clothes on.   
Almost every year, Blackstar had been last to roll in and was subsequently forced to jump in the lake, but it seemed like he never minded.   
Maka smiled as the memory of Blackstar drenched head to toe floated through her mind. She wondered who would be the one jumping into the lake this year, because it certainly wasn’t going to be her. It was nine in the morning, and she was positive that she was going to be the first one there, mostly because she knew Soul and Blackstar didn’t wake up before noon in the summer if they could help it. That would always hold up Tsubaki, and then Liz would hold up Kid and Patty because she could never decide what to pack for the summer and would end up bringing her entire closet. 

Yeah, most years her name was written at the top of the whiteboard in a pretty shade of emerald green. After the Wrestlemania Showdown that happened a few years ago between Kid and the Thompson sisters over a marker, everyone had wised up and brought their own ever since. Soul’s color was red, Tsubaki’s was yellow, Blackstar’s was blue, Patty’s was pink, Liz’s was purple, and Kid had stuck with classic black. 

Maka pulled her green marker out in anticipation and stuck it in her pocket, the lake house properties coming up on the horizon. Spirit glanced over at his precious daughter and shook his head fondly. He could see her practically vibrating in her seat and when they finally turned onto their street, she beamed. 

“Easy there, tiger. I’m sure we’re the first ones here like we are every year,” he said as he pulled into their driveway. 

“You never know, Papa, there’s always a chance that someone’s waiting to ambush me,” Maka said, unbuckling her seatbelt and opening the door quickly.

She rushed around the front of the car and booked it towards Soul’s backyard, the gate unlocked just like it had always been. She stopped short as soon as she saw the whiteboard. 

Red, Black, Purple, Pink, Yellow, Blue. 

Her blood ran cold and her friends emerged from behind the tool shed, cheering loudly as they high fived each other. 

“What the  _ hell _ is going on here?” Maka growled, furiously stomping to the whiteboard.  

“We got you good, Albarn!” Blackstar cackled as he continued to celebrate the fact that their master plan had actually worked.   
“Why in the hell are you guys _here_ this early?!” Maka cried as she flailed her arms around, clearly distressed. 

“Well, you see, Maka, we noticed that you’re always here first and decided that wasn’t very fair. So, we all decided to get here a little early to  _ surprise _ you,” Soul drawled. He gave her the biggest shit eating grin she had ever seen in her life.

Oh, she was going to kill him. She was going to kill them  _ all _ . 

“You are horrible friends! We agreed to not text each other the first day of summer!” Maka glared at the group in front of her. 

“We didn’t text each other today, Maks... We texted last night,” Patty said wickedly as she watched Maka write her name on the whiteboard. Maka had even drawn a chibi version of herself with a mad face. 

Soul chuckled when he saw the drawing and sent a small, self-satisfied smile Maka’s way. Something fluttered in her chest and her scowl softened just a degree. 

“Well,” Maka huffed, “I guess I have to go jump in the lake now. I hate all of you.” 

The group erupted into more giggles as she marched over to the Evans’ dock that stretched over the lake’s surface. She threw one more scathing glare in their direction before she ran as fast as she could down the length of the dock and launched herself off of the end.

She registered the freezing temperature of the water before anything else, and felt her entire body seize up before she started to kick up towards the surface. She took a deep gulp of air when she emerged, her hair sticking to her cheeks and neck uncomfortably. The cheers and whistles of her friends reached her ears as she started to swim towards the dock again.

She felt the material of her shirt and jeans stick to her small frame. She pulled herself out of the water, her body shivering uncontrollably while she tried to squeeze as much water out of her hair as possible. 

A few seconds later, Soul jogged over with a fluffy towel and wrapped her body with it. Her heart started pounding faster as soon as his arms pulled her in to scrub at her wet hair. Her nose caught the smell of the towel and Soul’s cologne and she felt her face get slightly warm. She stopped shaking a few moments later and Soul leaned back and gave her a once-over before he let her go. Maka felt her shoes squelch uncomfortably before clearing her throat and marching back to the group, Soul trailing behind her. 

They all patted Maka’s back once they gathered around the whiteboard. Soul grabbed a camera from a nearby lawnchair and aimed the lens at Maka, her pout prominent as the shutter clicked. He snickered as he took more photos of his friends chatting and carrying on. Eventually, he handed the camera to Spirit, who had come from next door when he heard the huge splash his daughter had made in the lake. Spirit snapped a few photos while the group of kids posed in front of the whiteboard with their names on it, another tradition of theirs. Maka, who looked like a wet cat wrapped in a towel, stood next to Soul, who looked like he was still trying to stifle some giggles lest he get punched in the arm. The rest of the group situated themselves around the whiteboard, with Blackstar on the ground right below it, dabbing in the most ridiculous way ever. Spirit took the picture quickly and handed the camera back to Soul.

“Your plan actually worked. I’m impressed, Soul,” Spirit gave Soul an approving nod with his hands on his hips. Maka’s jaw dropped to the floor.

“You  _ knew _ about this, Papa?! How could you!” Maka whined as she drew the towel in closer to her body. 

“Sorry, sweetie, Soul Evans drives a hard bargain,” Spirit said over his shoulder as he sauntered over to his own lake house, clearly satisfied with his role in his daughter’s misery. 

“I can’t believe you, Soul,” Maka hissed as she whirled to face him. “What did you offer my Papa?”

Soul shrugged as he said, “I offered to bring a shit ton of those fancy German chocolates that he loves.”

Maka sighed and shook her head in defeat. He got her good, those chocolates were like gold to her Papa. 

Tsubaki clapped her hands together to grab everyone’s attention.

“Well, I think that’s enough of torturing Maka for today, yes?” she said, winding an arm around Maka’s still dripping form. Maka stared daggers at everyone, challenging them to say something before they all reluctantly sighed and nodded. 

“Let’s all get changed into our swimsuits and then meet back here. I wanna get at the jet skis before Blackstar and Soul break them again this year,” Liz said with a pointed look at the boys. The previous year, Soul and Blackstar had decided to race around the lake the first day they arrived and managed to ram into the rest of the jet skis docked by Maka’s house. All of the jet skis had been out of commission for the rest of the summer. 

They all mumbled their assent before breaking off to their respective properties. One short trek across her lawn, and Maka was walking into the kitchen through the back door. She was met with the sight of her father digging into a gift-wrapped box of chocolates. God, Soul was such a suck up.   
She stole a couple of chocolates from the box and popped them in her mouth before she sauntered up to her room, the chocolate flavor overtaking her senses. Man, he’d gone all out for her Papa this time. 

Dropping the now soaked towel, she dug around her suitcase and found her swimsuits while she finished up the last of the stolen chocolate. She held both options in front of her, one in each hand. On the left, she had her usual one-piece swimsuit that she always wore that covered pretty much everything from the neck down. On the right, she held a brand-spanking-new bikini that had looked pretty good when she tried it on a couple of weeks ago. 

Maka wasn’t ashamed of her body, per se, but she had never been comfortable with wearing anything but a one-piece suit. This year, however, she was determined to go outside of her comfort zone and not look like a dorky middle schooler. She may not have boobs like Tsubaki or Liz, but she was proud of what she had, damn it, and this year she was going to show it. 

Tossing the one-piece back down, she turned towards the glass doors that connected to her balcony. Directly across the way, she could see Soul in his bedroom as well, digging around for his swimsuit. She smirked as she shook her head, silently enjoying watching Soul struggle to find what he needed because if he would just listen to her for once in his life, he’d have everything organized and know where everything was. 

Maka walked over to the curtains that were pushed open and grabbed each side. She was about to shut the curtains for some privacy before Soul raised his arm in victory, the elusive swimsuit in his grasp. She giggled softly, and then promptly choked on air as he began to pull his shirt off of his body, exposing his torso to the world. She squeaked loudly and quickly closed the curtains, praying that he hadn’t seen or heard her. 

She had to get a grip, damn it. He was her best friend, sure, but that didn’t mean she should ogle him through the window! Hell, she’s seen him plenty of times without his shirt off over the years, why should today be any different! Her heart pounded violently as she closed her eyes and willed her body to calm down. It’s just Soul, she reminded herself. Soul, the boy she’s known for over ten years. Soul, the boy who cheers her on constantly, and annoys her just as often. Soul, the boy she’d somehow fallen in love with. It had taken her some time to realize her feelings, and, boy, when she had that revelation, she knew that it was going to be the death of her this summer. 

Quickly changing into her swimsuit and some dry clothes, Maka paused and composed herself before she started to walk towards Soul’s dock. She kicked off the flip-flops she was wearing when she reached the end and sat down on the edge. She dipped her feet into the cool water, slowly rocking them back and forth while she looked at the familiar landscape. 

Suddenly, she felt a pair of hands cover her eyes and her heartbeat quickened again. She knew exactly who it was, the unmistakable scent of his cologne giving him away immediately. 

“Guess who?” A rumbling voice said in her ear. Maka suppressed a shiver as she cocked her head to the side.

Maka pretended to ponder her answer, “Hm, could it be a dirty traitor who bribed my Papa into lulling me into a false sense of security?”

She felt a huffing laugh next to her neck and she felt tingles go up and down her spine. 

“Come on, Maka, how long are you going to be a sore loser?” Soul said as he removed his hands from her eyes and took a seat next to her. 

“I wouldn’t have to be if you hadn’t conspired against me,” Maka said softly as she shoved Soul’s shoulder, her tone not as angry as she had meant it to be. Her wet hair had been a mess to deal with, so she had put it into a bun before leaving her room. She felt wisps of her hair flying around her face as she looked at Soul. 

His eyes had always fascinated her, their auburn, almost red, hue twinkling in the sunlight. He stared silently back at her as he shrugged his shoulder a bit, not really responding to her statement. They sat there for a few seconds before they heard rustling around them.

They ended their little staring contest when they heard Blackstar and Tsubaki approaching from the left and Kid and the Thompson sisters from the right. They almost tripped on the damp, wooden dock in their haste to stand up and began to walk away from the water. They knew better than to stay on the edge of the dock. They both had been pushed into the lake far too many times by either Blackstar or Patty. 

They found Blackstar and Liz bickering by the docked jet skis.

“No way, Blackstar, Patty and I are getting the sport skis first this time!” Liz exclaimed, crossing her arms defiantly. 

“Nuh uh, the sport ski is my baby! See, my name is even on the side!” Blackstar strolled over to the blue jet ski and jabbed a finger at the sticker of his signature that he had begged Soul to order last summer so that he could slap it on the front. Maka shook her head and watched her three friends bicker and push each other off of the sport skis in an effort to establish dominance. Unsurprisingly, it was the Thompson sisters who came out on top, pushing Blackstar into the lake mercilessly.

Blackstar sputtered, lake water spewing out of his mouth after he resurfaced a few moments later. The Thompson sisters turned the keys in the ignition and whooped loudly, driving away on their respective jet skis. 

“Come on, Blackstar, I’ll let you ride on my jet ski,” Tsubaki said soothingly as she twirled the key to her sleek, yellow jet ski docked nearby. 

Blackstar grumbled, but followed behind her anyway. 

Soul’s dock was their so-called Headquarters, as his dock was directly in the middle of all of their properties and was also the biggest. Everyone had originally been gifted their own jet skis one summer by Kid, Tsubaki, and Soul’s parents, with the colors of their whiteboard markers corresponding with their jet skis. 

They decided long ago that they would dock their jet skis together at Soul’s, and the couple of boats they used would stay at Maka’s place since they didn’t use them that often. Currently, the only jet skis that worked were the two sport skis -- Blackstar and Kid’s -- and three of the regular jet skis belonging to Liz, Tsubaki, and Soul. They kept the keys on a makeshift key holder that consisted of a thick, wooden pole stuck into the ground with mini hooks twisted into the wood. 

Patty and Maka’s jet skis sat pitifully at the far end of the dock, since several mechanical issues prevented them from working properly. Kid sighed as he grabbed the key for Liz’s dark purple jet ski and hopped on to meet the two sisters out in the middle of the lake.  

Soul also grabbed his key and Maka followed him automatically. Her own jet ski had been broken for the past two summers -- last year’s debacle not helping the situation, whatsoever -- so she had been used to riding with Soul for a while now. 

She shucked off her shorts and top, the lack of clothing leaving her feeling raw and exposed. She took a deep breath and situated herself behind Soul. He jerked in surprise when she wrapped her arms around his bare torso. When he twisted around to see her, a faint blush crept up his cheeks.

“U-uh, nice swimsuit, Maks,” Soul said as he turned back around, looking like he desperately needed some fresh air. Maka’s face burned as she stubbornly kept her gaze on the back of his neck. 

“Thanks, Soul,” she whispered, patiently waiting for Soul to get his shit together and start driving the jet ski. She gave herself a high-five as they jerked into drive and glided across the lake because holy shit she’s wearing a bikini and not freaking out. She was wearing a bikini and  _ holding Soul _ and oh god, she was two seconds away from tossing herself into the lake because it just got a thousand degrees warmer. She leaned her cheek on Soul’s back, praying to every god that she could control her erratic heart long enough to make it through this lake excursion without embarrassing herself entirely. 

\--- 

Hours later and thoroughly soaked to the bone, the group headed back towards Soul’s dock. The sky was painted in a beautiful array of oranges and purples, the colors blending together on the water’s surface while fireflies flickered around their heads on their walk back. Wrapped in beach towels, they gathered around a fire pit and basked in the soft glow of the campfire crackling within. They demolished a few s’mores and everyone was content to sit and relax next to the fire for a while. 

It was getting pretty late, however, so they put out the fire and began to trail off to their respective houses. Goodnights were exchanged and Maka hung back to help Soul take care of the last dredges of the smoldering embers. 

After they made sure everything was properly extinguished, they walked towards the gate that led to Maka’s property. The light of the streetlamps barely reached where they were now, the highlights and shadows accentuating Soul’s features even more than when he was in direct sunlight. She could see the sharp outline of his jaw and the way his hair swept over his forehead, as if he desperately needed a haircut. She knew he did, but he refused to get one just to piss off his father. 

She looked up at him as they reached the open gate, stopping short of crossing the threshold into the other yard. 

“Well, that was an eventful first day,” Maka said awkwardly. Her gaze shifted downward and she fiddled with the edge of her shirt. 

“Eh, I dunno. Last year was pretty eventful, too,” Soul stuffed his hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts. 

She hummed in agreement, looking back up and observing his appearance. Clad in a loose tank top and cargo shorts, he looked every part the cool, suave eighteen-year-old high school graduate that was finally free for the summer. He smiled softly at her as he pulled his hands out of his pockets, his eyes piercing and thoughtful. 

“C’mere, you. You didn’t hug me this morning,” Soul opened his arms and Maka leaned forward, slotting herself snugly against his body. 

“Sorry, I was kind of busy jumping into the lake, you know,” Maka said playfully, her voice muffled into Soul’s shoulder. 

She could feel his low chuckle against her body, and she felt her cheeks heat up a little. He tightened his hold just a bit before pulling back to look at her face. She really, really hoped that the redness in her cheeks was concealed in the darkness. 

“Are you still mad at me?” Soul’s gaze shifted to the side, uncertainty painting his voice before he cleared his throat like he always did when he was nervous.

She looked at him for a second before she said, “I could never stay mad at you.”

His face erupted into a grin before his shoulders relaxed once more. 

“Good. Was worried I’d have to grovel at your feet for at least a week,” he said as he reluctantly let her go.

“Maybe I’ll change my mind if it means I can guilt you into anything I want for a week,” Maka said, hip-checking him. 

“You don’t have to guilt me into doing anything for you,” he said quietly. Her chest bloomed with affection and happiness. 

He reached for her once more, enveloping her into another hug before whispering into her ear, “Goodnight, Maka.”

She felt her breath catch in her throat, tingles erupting down her back and arms pleasantly.

“Goodnight, Soul. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She lingered in his arms reluctant to go, her heart stuttering in her chest. He was so close to her face that his breath tickled her cheeks. She waited for him to do something else, something  _ more,  _ but to her disappointment and relief, he backed away. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said before he turned and wandered back to his house. 

Maka’s brain rebooted and she started walking towards her house, giddily finding her way to her room. From her doorway, she saw Soul’s bedroom light turn on through her curtains, his silhouette moving around inside. She walked through the darkness of her room and turned on the lamp that sat on the nightstand, stopping short of her bed.

Sitting on top was a beautiful little package, complete with a big, red bow. On the top, she saw something scrawled in red marker. 

_ I’m sorry for today, Maks. Forgive me? _

_ -Soul _

He knew she was going to be mad at him for his evil little plan, and he had planned accordingly. Soul must’ve asked Papa to plant his present in her room after she left for the day. Right under his signature, he had drawn a little pair of angel wings. She smiled softly and her heart constricted in longing and nostalgia and deep-seated affection, any and all remaining anger floating away like ashes in the wind. Her mother used to call her “her little angel”, and nobody knew about it except Papa and Soul. 

She unraveled the ribbon and opened the box to find her own set of beautiful (and most likely expensive) chocolates. The brand was different than the ones her Papa liked, and the only familiar word that stuck out to her was “Paris”. Chocolates from France. She felt like her heart was going to explode. 

Glancing over to the glass doors once more, she resolved to give Soul the biggest hug ever tomorrow. 

After cracking the balcony doors open slightly, she readied herself for bed. Settling under the covers, she let herself drift into sleep with the taste of French chocolates lingering on her lips.


	2. Chapter 2

Sunlight filtered through the balcony doors, causing Maka’s eyes to flutter open. She glanced at the clock next to her bed -- 9 a.m. it read -- and sat up to stretch her arms over her head. Maka suppressed a yawn as she stretched, her curtains billowing next to her in the morning breeze. She blinked away the remaining sleep in her eyes and tossed her duvet to the side so she could finally get out of bed. Turning her head towards the open balcony doors, she watched Soul walk around his room with a piece of toast in his mouth and a sour expression on his face. Maka cocked her head, confused. Usually Soul didn’t wake up this early unless he was woken up by his older brother, Wes, at their father’s request. Guessing by the toast and bad mood radiating off of him, he’d been forced to eat breakfast with his family.

Seeing Soul up and about at this hour wasn’t a good sign, especially if it involved his father. Making sure her red flannel pajamas were buttoned correctly before stepping outside, Maka opened her balcony doors and padded over to the railing. She cleared her throat loudly and waited for him to notice her. Soul stopped dead in his tracks as soon as he heard her and walked to his own balcony, his expression losing some of its edge when his eyes landed on Maka. 

“You’re up early,” Maka ventured as she leaned on the railing, one foot crossing over the other. 

Soul gobbled up the last of his toast before grumbling, “Wish I wasn’t.” His arms came up to rest on his own set of rails before he heaved an exasperated sigh.

“Did your father make you eat breakfast with him today?” Maka asked, even though she already knew the answer. 

“Yeah,” Soul’s eyes slid to the side, his expression darkening at the mention of his father. She threw him a sympathetic glance.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Maka asked quietly. 

“Nah, not really. Don’t want you to worry about his bullshit,” Soul responded. He looked her up and down, his mouth quirking into a smirk.

“You still fit into my old pajamas?” 

Maka’s face turned crimson. She had acquired his set of flannel pajamas because he had a growth spurt a few of summers back and they didn’t fit him anymore. He didn’t want to throw them out since they were kind of new, so he had offered them to Maka. She had drowned in the material at first, but she eventually filled them out as she got older and they had quickly become her favorite thing to sleep in. She wasn’t going to give Soul the satisfaction of knowing, though. 

“Of course I do. What, are you calling me fat or something?” Maka said, huffing exaggeratedly and turning her body to the side, arms crossed and chin held high. She knew he would never dare say something like that, but it was fun to mess with him anyway. 

Soul scoffed and straightened up, crossing his own arms. “Yeah, Maka, like I’d do that when you’re literally five feet away from me and totally capable of retaliating. I’ve developed some sort of self-preservation skills over the years, you know.” She could hear the sarcasm that dripped in his voice, and she struggled to keep her face neutral. 

Maka turned her head towards him and her face finally twisted into a smirk she could no longer hold back when he caught her eye, and they both started laughing uncontrollably. Maka saw how much more relaxed Soul was and she was glad that she was able to make him forget about his father, even if it was only for a few moments. 

She heard a sound come from behind Soul a few moments later and her giggles tapered off. In his doorway was Wes, and by the way he leaned on the door frame, she knew that Soul wasn’t off the hook yet. 

Soul turned around and said with annoyance, “What now, Wes?”

“Jeez, I can’t just come up and see what my baby brother is doing today?” Wes said innocently.

“No, because you never do that. Now either tell me what father wants or get out.” Soul crossed his arms and leaned against the railing again, back to Maka. He made no indication that he was moving anytime soon. 

“I just came to make sure you were okay, you kind of stormed out of the dining room this morning. Father wasn’t pleased,” Wes said as he continued to lean against the door frame. She knew what he was doing. He was blocking Soul’s only way out of the room, no escape. 

She couldn’t see his face, but she knew Soul was supremely annoyed at Wes and his family. She had no idea why, but she wasn’t just going to leave Soul to the wolves. 

“You know, it’s quite rude to interrupt someone’s conversation, Wes. It’s equally as rude to barge into someone’s room when they clearly want to be  _ alone _ ,” Maka said, her voice projecting across the balcony and into Soul’s room. Wes’s eyebrows shot into his hairline and Soul turned towards Maka, a grateful grin spreading across his face.

Wes cleared his throat, “I don’t believe I saw you there, Maka. Good morning. I hope my baby brother isn’t taking out his frustrations on you.” 

“Oh no, he would never do anything like that.” Maka’s syrupy sweet voice almost matched the straining smile she plastered on her face. 

Wes started to shift his weight and started to look uncomfortable as a few seconds of silence stretched on. He contemplating his next words and Maka could see the cogs turning in his head. 

“Well, uh, I’ll just leave you two to continue your conversation. See you, Maka,” Wes said, throwing a wave in her direction and leaving, the door shutting behind him with a click.

Maka relaxed and let out a sigh, any trace of the fake smile gone from her face in an instant. Soul beamed at her from his balcony. 

“If I could hug you right now, I would.” Soul’s relief was palpable from where she stood. 

Maka shrugged and a giggle escaped her. “You can repay me later.”

Silence hung in the air for a moment before they both heard someone yelling from down below.

“Hey guys, get your asses down here! We’re heading to Horse’s Head Cliff in like 30 minutes!” 

Maka looked to the right and saw Blackstar on the lawn with his hands cupped around his mouth. Another surprise this morning. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be dead asleep right now, Blackstar?” Maka asked, rising on her tiptoes and folding herself over the side railing to see him properly. 

“I wish! Tsubaki woke me up and wouldn’t let me go back to sleep. She kept saying that I’m not going to ‘sleep away the summer again’,” his fingers doing air quotes, “whatever that means,”  Blackstar grumbled. 

“Tsubaki has a point, Blackstar,” Maka said, not-so-subtly pointing a look behind her in Soul’s direction. She snickered at his incredulous ‘Hey!’. 

“Just get down here, if I’m gonna be awake, might as well be doing something fun!” Blackstar whooped, walking over to the jet skis and starting to unanchor them from the dock. 

Maka straightened herself up, her back, stomach, and calves straining from being bent over the railing. She faced forward again, addressing Soul.

“We better get going before Blackstar-” Maka’s sentence died in her throat as soon as her gaze fell on Soul’s face. As soon as she stopped talking, his eyes snapped up guiltily. His cheeks were flushed and he looked at her with a mixture of heat and embarrassment, all deeply veiled in an attempt to conceal his thoughts. Her heart leaped into her throat as his expression, but it didn’t last long. He cleared his throat and ran his fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck.

“Before Blackstar?...” Soul trailed off, his eyes now looking anywhere but her. 

Maka shook her head slightly to clear her head, “I was saying we should go before Blackstar and the others leave us behind.” 

“Yeah, sounds good. I’ll see you down there?” Soul said, his eyes sliding to her again. 

“Yeah,” Maka responded, her fingers twisting together nervously. She could feel her pulse beating through her veins and her thoughts swimming in her head. 

“Cool,” he said before turning on his heel and walking into his bedroom, closing the balcony doors and curtains behind him. 

She watched him go before doing the same, her forehead resting on the doors after they clicked shut. 

_ What the fuck was that all about? _

\---

Grabbing the bikini that had been drying in her bathroom from the night before, Maka tossed it on before dressing in a pair of jean shorts and an old t-shirt. She packed a few essential items in a beach bag before slipping on a pair of worn out sneakers and running down the stairs, swiping a piece of buttered toast from her Papa’s hand. She left a kiss on his cheek with a “See you later, Papa, we’ll be at Horse’s Head!” tossed behind her. 

She started the trek across her lawn to Soul’s dock, munching happily the whole way there. She could hear her friends chattering the closer she got, everyone present with their own bags slung over their shoulders, ready and raring to go. The only exception was Soul, who was currently whispering furiously at his older brother. He had one foot out of the door, his hand holding the back door open impatiently. 

She shot a worried glance his way before she felt an arm slide across her shoulders.

“Come on, Maka, Soul will be out in a minute. His brother's giving him hell about something  _ again _ .”

Maka looked up and saw Liz right next her, her expression a mixture of worry and annoyance that was pointed in Wes’s direction. She let Liz guide her over to the rest of the group, adjusting her bag as she joined her friends by the dock. 

Everyone was well aware of the relationship Soul had with his family and had become slightly protective over him. There was always an incident involving either his brother or father and it usually blew over in a few days. It usually didn't happen this early in the summer, though, so everyone was especially wary when Soul slammed the door shut and walked over to them. 

“You okay there, Soul?” Kid asked, his eyebrow raised in concern. 

Soul let out a tired sigh. He looked even worse than this morning, and it had only been about 30 minutes since she saw him last. Whatever was bothering him must be a big deal and it was eating Maka alive. 

“I’m fine, guys, let’s just go,” Soul grumbled as he snatched his jet ski key off of the hook and marched over towards the dock. Everyone looked at each other for a second before following behind Soul. 

\--- 

“Hey Maks, do you know what’s going on with Soul today?” 

Maka, Kid, and Tsubaki were stretched out on a few towels, the naturally occurring rock platform that was towards the top of Horse’s Head Cliff just big enough to accommodate them. Maka and Kid leaned back on the towels, their hands behind them to keep them upright. Next to the trio sat everyone’s bags, clothes, and shoes. Down in the water below, Soul, Blackstar, Patty, and Liz were in the middle of a fierce game of Chicken. Liz and Patty duked it out, the competitive nature of the two sisters fueling them as they struggled on top of Blackstar and Soul’s shoulders. 

Maka turned her head towards Kid and Tsubaki, her black sunglasses glinting in the sun. 

“I have no idea, Kid. He was like this when I woke up this morning,” Maka said, chewing the inside of her cheek. 

“Whatever it is, I can tell it’s really bothering him,” Tsubaki chimed in, her head resting in her arms while she lay on her stomach. 

Maka hummed in agreement, her eyes trained on the water below. She could hear the four of them yelling and splashing, and soon enough, Liz was being pushed into the water by Patty. 

“Damn it, I almost had you!” Liz said, her hands coming up to wipe her wet hair away from her eyes.

“You wish, sis! You haven’t beaten me in Chicken since we were little!” Patty cackled from Soul’s shoulders.

With newfound determination, Liz climbed on Blackstar’s shoulders once more and the game started all over again. 

Maka tipped her head back and wiggled her bare toes, letting the sun wash over her body. The best part about Horse’s Head was that the rock formation was perfect for working on a tan. The tan lines caused by her bikini top were going to be annoying, but she figured she could fix that later somehow. 

“So, Maka, how have you been lately?” Tsubaki asked, crossing her ankles. 

“Uh, I’ve been good, I guess? Why do you ask?” Maka answered.

“I was just wondering because it seems like you have a lot on your mind,” Tsubaki said innocently.

“Are you upset because of what happened this morning with Soul?” Kid asked.

Maka contemplated his question. Out of everyone in the group, there was no question that she was the most protective of Soul, especially when it came to his family. She had watched them from the outside for many years, how they treated Soul like he just wasn’t good enough. 

Being part of a family of wealthy, talented musicians took a toll on him emotionally, and when he quit playing the piano a few years ago, he looked like he was finally free. Since then, however, Soul’s father tended to ignore him. She knew Soul didn’t really mind, but Maka didn’t want to open that particular can of worms any time soon. 

“I’m not upset at Soul’s family, I’m upset that he won’t tell me what happened this morning. But I don’t want to pry just yet,” Maka said, sitting up and wrapping her arms around her knees. 

The sound of footsteps and distant chatter interrupted her, their wet smacks echoing on the rock formation. Soul, Blackstar, Liz, and Patty -- all soaked to the bone -- soon reached the platform where the trio were sitting, and they situated themselves to accommodate their friends. 

Blackstar rubbed at his hair with a towel before plopping down next to Tsubaki, completing the semicircle that everyone else had formed. They tossed their belongings in the middle in order to save space, and Maka reached for her bag and gave Soul the extra towel she had packed. She figured with the chaos that happened this morning that he would forget to pack properly, and she had been right. He smiled sheepishly at her before placing the towel over his soaking head. 

“So, peons, what’s next on the agenda for today?” Blackstar asked, the towel now hanging around his shoulders. 

“I dunno Blackstar, did you have something in mind?” Kid answered with a quirked eyebrow. 

“Not really, I’m usually still dead asleep at these hours,” Blackstar grumbled, shooting a look at Tsubaki, who was looking away with a small grin on her face. 

“We could have a diving contest!” Patty piped up, her gaze shooting up to the top of the rock formation, which was essentially the top of Horse’s Head Cliff. 

“I dunno, Patty, the last time we did that, Blackstar broke three of his fingers,” Liz said warily. 

Maka shivered at the memory, the frantic rush of climbing down the rocks to help Blackstar get back to Soul’s place and to the ER flooding her mind. They got injured pretty often, but that one was the scariest injury to date. She’d never forget the sound of Blackstar’s blood curdling scream that ripped through the air a few seconds after he resurfaced. The look of uneasiness spread throughout the group, the memory obviously a touchy subject to them all. 

“How about we just call it a day and head over to the basketball court?” Maka suggested, suddenly eager to get back to the dock. 

They all gave sounds of agreement and started to round up their items. After climbing down from the rocks, Maka noticed that Soul was uncharacteristically quiet. Alright, it was time to pry. 

After a few moments, Maka asked, “Hey Soul, can I drive the jet ski back?” 

“Yeah, of course,” Soul said, his eyes wandering over the vast expanse of water while he dug around for the key in his pocket. Maka frowned and took it from his hand, positioning herself towards the front of the seat. Soul settled in behind her and she felt his arms go around her bare waist. 

Well,  _ that _ was a new sensation. Not used to the contact of his hands around her bare midsection, Maka took a couple of steadying breaths before punching the throttle to the jet ski, Soul’s hands tightening on her so he wouldn’t fall off into the water. 

Maka set her course towards Soul’s house, Tsubaki and Blackstar coming into view on her left side. Sending a mock salute to Tsubaki, who was peering at her curiously, Maka veered off to the right and started to drive in the opposite direction, smack dab into the middle of the lake. 

“What are you doing?” Soul said in to Maka’s ear, the roar of the wind whipping around them as Maka kept driving. 

Maka ignored him until they were in the middle of the water, the noise of the jet ski and wind dying down as soon as Maka let go of the throttle and turned the jet ski off. Maka turned around in her seat to face Soul, their knees bumping together as they bobbed casually in the water. 

“What’s this all about?” Soul asked while he floundered with where to put his hands. He settled on placing them on his knees, to Maka’s disappointment. 

“Just figured you needed a little more time away from home,” Maka answered. She looked in the direction of his house in the distance, watching everyone else dock and go their separate ways. 

When she looked back at him, his eyes glimmered in the sunlight. The beginnings of a smile formed on his face, and the ball of anxiety in her chest started to unwind just a bit.

“I can’t get anything past you, can I?” Soul huffed playfully, running a hand through his windswept hair. 

“You really can’t,” Maka said with a laugh.

A few seconds of silence passed before Maka said cautiously, “So, do you want to tell me what’s up?”

Soul sighed and bowed his head. “You’re not going to leave me alone if I don’t, so I’ll tell you. Basically, my father wants me to meet his business partner’s daughter, since we’re here for the summer and they live across the lake.” 

Soul pointed in the opposite direction of his house, his finger landing on a big house in the distance. Maka blinked.

“So, what’s the issue? You meet her and then never talk to her again, boom. Easy,” Maka said.

“Not so easy, I’m afraid. According to my father, I ‘might as well be useful and try to entertain this young lady.’ Apparently she’s seen pictures of me and decided that she’s taken a liking to me or something,” Soul groused, his slouch becoming more pronounced the more he spoke. 

Maka raised her eyebrows. She felt a fiery flare of jealousy in her chest and her jaw ached with the force of her frown. _ Who the hell does she think she is?  _

“But why?” Maka spat out. “She hasn’t even met you!” 

“I know,” Soul groaned, his head going into his hands. 

“So, what, are you gonna listen to your father, just like that?” 

“Not a chance in hell, Maks. Come on, you know me better than that,” Soul said, glancing up from his hands. 

“So tell me, why is Wes involved in this anyway?” Maka asked.

“He wants me to go through with it, apparently. ‘Can’t you just make father happy for once?’ You believe that shit? Honestly, I think he’s trying to save his own ass. If I say no, then father is  _ definitely _ going to make Wes ‘entertain her’ because Wes never says no to father,” Soul said bitterly. He rolled his eyes, irritation rolling off of him in waves.

“He’s not even going to  _ be _ here for the whole summer anyway! God, why is my family so fucking stupid,” Soul exclaimed, his hands gripping his hair. 

Maka set her hands on his shoulders and his eyes flicked to her own, deep auburn meeting emerald green. His hands slowly unwound from his hair, and then flopped helplessly in his lap. 

“It’s going to be alright, Soul. We’ll figure something out, just don’t stress too much about it. Summer’s only just begun, so don’t let that shit ruin it, okay?” Maka said, her hands gripping his shoulders just a touch tighter. She pulled him into a hug, and she could feel him melt into her embrace. 

“Thanks, Maka,” Soul mumbled into her hair. She hummed in response and let him go. Feeling her blush coming to her cheeks, she coughed into her fist and turned back around in her seat. 

“Anytime, Soul. Now, let’s get back before the others start to worry that I kidnapped you or something,” Maka laughed before turning the key in the ignition and driving back to his dock. 

Once they parked the jet ski, Maka turned to Soul. He clambered out of the jet ski and onto the dock.

“Do you want to tell the others? They’re worried about you, you know.” Maka grabbed Soul’s outstretched hand, letting him pull her up to solid ground. 

“Yeah, I’ll tell ‘em in a little bit,” Soul said. 

Maka nodded before reaching up and ruffling Soul’s hair. 

“We care about you, Soul. Talk to us about stuff like this.”

He smiled and nodded, swatting away Maka’s hands from his head. Satisfied, Maka held out a fist towards Soul, and he bumped it with his own before they went their separate ways. 

Maka felt the sheen of sweat on her skin as she walked to her house and decided that she was in desperate need of a shower. Gross. 

\---

“Bro, what the  _ fuck _ ?” 

Blackstar’s voice echoed around the basketball court and startled a few pigeons from the surrounding trees in a flurry of wings and feathers. Maka jumped in surprise and turned around from grabbing her bag from the old, wooden bench tucked in the side of the court. From a distance, she saw Soul cringe at Blackstar’s voice. 

“Hey Blackstar, could you broadcast your _ entire ass  _ voice just a little louder, please?! Don’t think the aliens in  _ outer space _ heard you!” Soul shouted back with his arms in the air for emphasis, his face turning pink. 

Both of the boys’ shirts were soaked in sweat, and even Maka felt slightly sticky after the few of games of Horse they had played. The sky had turned to dusk before they knew it, and the group had begun to pack up when Blackstar’s outburst interrupted them.

Maka chuckled and made her way over to Soul’s side, waving over the rest of the group. She placed a hand on Soul’s shoulder and gave him a comforting squeeze. He sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair.

“Guys, I have a dilemma,” Soul said, looking uncomfortable while everyone stared at him expectantly.

“Soul has a dilemma, alright, some chick is tryna cuff him for the summer!” Blackstar interrupted, his arms crossed across his chest and his voice full of concern and indignation.  Maka had expected Blackstar to at least tease Soul a little bit like he usually did, but he was uncharacteristically distressed. 

“English, Blackstar,” Kid said, looking confused. 

“He means that this girl wants to date Soul for the summer, yes?” Tsubaki explained, looking at Soul for confirmation. Soul nodded and avoided eye contact with everyone else, his shoes suddenly looking very interesting.

Maka felt jealousy start to fill her chest like a green snake coiling around her heart. She tried her hardest to stamp it down, then cleared her throat.

“Well, this girl is certifiably insane if she thinks she can just waltz in here and try to take Soul like that,” Liz huffed. Maka fought her growing smirk -- Liz was damn right. 

“I don’t care who she is, I’m not going to date her,” Soul said fiercely. 

“From what it seems like, I don’t think she or your father is going to take no for an answer, Soul,” Kid said.

Soul frowned and clicked his tongue. He let out a defeated sigh and ran his hand through his sweaty, disheveled hair.

“Well, ‘s not like I can do anything about this, anyway. I just wanted to warn you guys that she might be around soon.” Soul’s misery was palpable and everyone stayed silent. Maka felt her heart drop to the floor; she hated this more than anything. 

“What if...What if you already had a girlfriend, bro?” Blackstar’s suggestion broke through the silence – Maka could see the cogs turning in his head. Soul’s eyes widened and Maka choked on air. He wasn’t serious, was he? 

“Good point, Blackstar. What  _ if _ Soul had a girlfriend already? Do you guys think that this girl would stop her advances if she thought Soul was unavailable?” Kid asked, looking around the group to gauge their reaction. There were a few murmurs of agreement. Maka stayed silent, one hand clenching and unclenching behind her back while the other rested on Soul’s shoulder. She could feel just how tense he was. 

“I mean, do you guys think it’ll work? It’s not like I have the ladies lining up at my doorstep,” Soul said, his cheeks blooming with color.

Blackstar grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. 

“Don’t even worry about it, bro, I know the  _ perfect _ lady to be your fake girl.” 

Blackstar’s gaze landed on Maka, a devilish glint sparkling in his eyes. Everyone else looked at Maka in an instant, and she blushed from head to toe.

“What are you guys looking at?” Maka asked, her voice unsteady. Next to her, Soul was equally as red as Maka. 

“Think about it, Maka. You’ve been Soul’s best friend since you guys were five years old. You’re the only logical choice here to help him,” Tsubaki said, shrugging her shoulders. 

Maka bit her lip. Tsubaki had a point -- he needed a convincing alibi and partner. Her eyes slid to Soul’s face, which was twisted into a mixture of panic and concern. 

“You don’t have to do it, Maka,” Soul said quickly, his hand coming to rest at the nape of his neck. 

“No way, man! You can’t do this without her. Maks, come on. You have to help my bromigo out here!” Blackstar said, his eyes attempting their best impression of a kicked puppy, but failing. 

Maka gulped. She could feel her anxiety rippling beneath the surface of her skin, but she did her best to keep herself grounded. 

Her eyes darted from Soul to Blackstar. She had always been there for Soul, no matter the situation. She was there when he told her about his mother leaving when they were eight. She was there when Wes had left for Europe and he was left alone with his father for three months when they were twelve. She was there when he quit playing piano when they were fifteen. She had to be there for him now. 

Maka’s heart pounded violently in her chest and her face was awash with a new wave of color. 

“Okay,” she said, her voice almost a whisper in the wind. Soul went still beside her, face blank with shock before Blackstar guffawed.

“Dude, pick up your jaw. Of course she was gonna say yes,” Blackstar laughed, tapping his finger on Soul’s chin. Soul took a moment to compose himself before he ran a hand through his sweaty hair. 

“Do you really want to, Maka? I don’t want you to think that you have to just because Blackstar says so,” Soul said.

“I...I do. I want to help.” Maka fiddled with the strap of her bag. 

“Well, it’s settled then. You guys should go figure out how you’re gonna do this thing. Liz, Patty, and I are gonna head back to the house.” Kid’s face was illuminated in different shades of orange and yellow and he waved goodbye to the group. With Liz and Patty in tow, he started to walk back towards his house.

Blackstar and Tsubaki decided to head back as well, leaving Soul and Maka to trek back to their houses together. 

“So…” Soul began, his voice awkward and unsure. 

“So?...” Maka looked at him expectantly. Thankfully, the looming darkness of dusk sort of concealed her flushed face. 

“You know what I’ve always noticed, Maks?” Soul starts, shoving his hands in his pockets. 

“Hm?” Maka hummed in response, and her head turned towards Soul as they keep walking home on the dirt path. 

“You’re always coming to my rescue.” Soul’s voice dropped an octave and it reminded Maka of chocolate. Smooth and rich. Comforting. 

Maka couldn’t control the heat that crept back into her cheeks. 

Taking Maka’s silence as a cue to continue, Soul said, “Thank you for that. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” 

Oh god, she’s going to spontaneously combust. She’s going to actually die. 

“N-no problem, Soul. You’re my best friend and I’m always going to be there for you, no matter what wacky, crazy situation you get yourself into. I don’t know what I would do without you, either,” Maka said, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. Her heart felt so full that it was almost overwhelming. 

They reached Maka’s front porch. She turned towards Soul and wrapped him in a bone crushing hug. 

“Huh-” Soul wheezed in surprise, but wound his arms around her nonetheless. 

“This is for those chocolates you got me,” Maka said, her cheek resting on his chest. His shirt was still a little damp with sweat, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. 

“Ah. I found this famous bakery in Paris that also ships chocolates and stuff. Thought you might like something different than what your dad got,” Soul said.

“They were delicious, thank you,” Maka said, releasing Soul from her grip. His arms stayed around her loosely, and his head was tipped down to see Maka’s face. 

“You’re welcome,” he said softly. The air was heavy  with an uncertain tension, and Maka’s heart started to pound all over again. Her skin prickled with anxiety and hope, and she unconsciously inched forward in his arms. 

She held his gaze and his eyes dipped to her lips for a fraction of a second. Silence and tension curled around the two of them, and her hands searched for anything to hold onto. She lightly grabbed Soul’s shirt and tried to control her breathing. 

Time stood still and all Maka registered was her own pulse roaring in her ears and the closing proximity between them. Her own head tipped upwards, her eyes drooping as soon as she felt his breath tickle her cheek. Maka closed her eyes and --

Suddenly, the front door burst open and the two of them jumped apart. Maka yelped and clutched at her chest, whirling to face the front door that Spirit was now occupying. 

“Papa! You damn near gave me a heart attack!” Maka yelled, her heart pounding for a completely different reason now. 

“What are you two doing out here?” Spirit asked. Maka could practically feel his eyes bore into Soul’s forehead. 

Soul put his hands up, “I was just making sure she got home safe, Mr. Albarn.” 

Spirit squinted at him. Maka stepped in between the two.

“Papa, I was just thanking him for the chocolate he got me! He was about to leave, jeez,” Maka huffed, her hand coming behind her back and waving frantically towards Soul’s house, signaling for him to go. 

“Maka’s right, I was just leaving,” Soul said nervously. He started to walk down the porch stairs and gave Maka a small wave before basically booking it back to his house. 

Maka glared at her father before they both went inside. She sighed and bid her father goodnight, racing up the stairs two at a time. Once she was inside her room, she flopped face first into her pillows, not even bothering to turn on the lights first. 

In the silence of her room, Maka began to mull over what the fuck just happened at the basketball court. She was going to be Soul’s fake girlfriend. Fake. Girlfriend. A girlfriend, but it’s all fake. Was she going to have to hold his hand and be all lovey-dovey in front of his family? If she’s lucky,  _ maybe  _ she’d have to kiss him-- oh fuck her, she is so screwed. How was she going to keep her feelings in check when she’s basically going to have free reign to act out her desires in real life? 

She groaned into her pillow and prayed to the gods above that she could get through this summer without embarrassing herself or spontaneously combusting. Only one solitary thought spun in her head as she drifted off to sleep that night: 

_ What had she gotten herself into? _


	3. Chapter 3

Soul tossed and turned in his bed, entirely unwilling to wake up and be a normal human just yet. He blinked at the ceiling, the grogginess draining slowly from his veins like syrup. 

Yesterday was simultaneously the best and the worst day of his life. Of all the scenarios that have crossed his mind as to how to ask Maka to be his girlfriend, this one was definitely not on the list. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever thought that he’d have to ask Maka to be his fake girlfriend, much less that she would actually  _ agree _ to it. 

He should be happy, right? He basically had the best excuse to hold her close and show affection whenever he wanted. He could hold her hand and put his arm around her and if he’s lucky, maybe he’d even--Oh fuck, he  _ hoped _ he’d get to kiss her. 

He felt like such a  _ creep _ , but considering he’d had years of fantasizing about kissing her until they were both breathless and dizzy, it was no surprise that he really, really wanted to give in, consequences be damned. In retrospect, he should be thanking Blackstar for this, but in the moment he just wanted to throttle him. That monster  _ knew  _ how he felt about Maka, and he hadn’t hesitated to set them up together like this. This was definitely not how he thought this summer would go. 

Soul felt his body gradually wake up as the minutes passed, and he sighed before tossing his blanket to the side and sitting up. Rubbing at his eyes, he stood up and sauntered over to the set of drawers that held his t-shirts and a few pairs of shorts. 

He peered over in the direction of Maka’s balcony and could see her sitting at her vanity. Through her half-opened curtains, he watched her run a brush through her hair in long, even strokes. The softest smile graced his face, and he felt a warm tendril of fondness grip his heart -- he was so far gone for her, it was actually a little pathetic. In that moment, he couldn’t bring himself to care. 

\---

He hated this. He hated that his father was making him do this, and he hated that he felt like he had no choice in the matter, like every other god damn thing in his life. Most of all, he hated that Maka wasn’t there with him. He felt vulnerable standing next to his brother in the foyer of their house, where they were waiting for his father to return with his business partner and his daughter. This dinner was supposed to be to introduce Soul and the girl, and he felt sick to his stomach. 

He had spent the entire day dreading this dinner, but seeing his friends for a few hours had been a small comfort, at least. When he had to leave to get ready, he could see that they were worried about him. Maka, above all else, looked like she wanted to hug him and never let go. 

“What do you think she’s like?” Wes whispered in Soul’s general direction. On the outside, Wes looked as dashing as always, but Soul knew he was just as uncomfortable as he was. Just because Wes knew how to schmooze didn’t mean that he enjoyed it. 

“I don’t know, Wes. We’re about to find out though,” Soul replied. Their attention snapped to the door knob when it started to turn, and both boys straightened up when they saw the door open to reveal their father talking with an older gentleman, a teenage girl trailing behind them. 

She seemed genuinely bored; that is, until her eyes landed on Soul. Her face lit up with recognition and her whole demeanor sharpened while her eyes roamed up and down his frame. He tried to disguise the feeling of panic he was feeling, and he was mildly succeeding -- at least he hoped he was succeeding. 

His father gestured towards Soul and Wes. “I’d like to introduce my two sons to you, Wilford. This is Wesley, my oldest, and Soul, my youngest. Wes, Soul, this is Wilford Diehl. He owns a portion of this lake as well as several other businesses in the area.”

“What a pleasure it is to meet you, Mr. Diehl,” Wes said, his hand coming up to shake Mr. Diehl’s hand. 

“Pleasure, Wesley,” Mr. Diehl responded. He gave Wes’s hand a firm shake and turned towards Soul.

“It’s nice to meet you, sir,” Soul mumbled, his hand coming up in a half-assed attempt of a handshake. He knew his father was staring at him, but he didn’t give a shit. 

“Likewise, Soul,” Mr. Diehl said. 

Soul’s father cleared his throat and gestured towards the girl at his side. 

“This is Kimberlynn Diehl, Mr. Diehl’s wonderful daughter.” Soul’s father gave her a slight push forward and she started walking to Wes first. 

“Oh please, Mr. Evans, call me Kim. Kimberlynn was my great grandmother.” Kim stuck her hand out towards Wes, giving him a short greeting. Soul swallowed as soon as her eyes landed on him. 

“Hello, Soul Evans,” Kim purred as she held her hand out. Soul took her hand reluctantly and gave her a small handshake. She frowned, clearly expecting something different. 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Soul grated out, his eyes sliding away from her gaze uncomfortably. He quickly dropped her hand and slid them both into the pockets of his black slacks. Her frown deepened and once she had situated herself beside her father again, Soul’s father ushered them all into the dining room. Soul was about to sit down at the table when he heard the doorbell ring. Wes gave him a weird look and went off to go answer the door in a hurry. 

Soul watched him leave and continued to sit down. It looked like Wes had invited a guest, no surprise there. Soul hoped his father wouldn’t be  _ too  _ pissed that Wes invited someone over for dinner without permission, especially a dinner where he was hosting new guests. 

Meanwhile, Kim sat directly across from him and gave him a small wave as soon as she was settled in her seat. He smiled weakly in her direction before directing his attention elsewhere and fiddling with his cloth napkin. 

Seconds later, Wes came back into the dining room and smiled deviously in Soul’s direction. 

“I’m terribly sorry, Father, but I forgot to tell you that we were having another guest for dinner tonight,” Wes said, side stepping away from the doorway to reveal Maka standing awkwardly behind him. Soul’s eyeballs nearly popped out of his skull. 

_ What the fuck was she  _ **_doing_ ** _ here, oh god. _

The dress she had on was speckled with lots of delicate flowers, and her curled hair was pulled away from her face in a half up, half down hairstyle. She had on some strappy sandals that complimented her cute, painted toenails, and Soul couldn’t tell if the blush on her cheeks was makeup or not but-- oh yeah, she was definitely wearing some mascara and maybe some lip gloss? Her lips were shinier than normal and he could feel his brain short circuit the more he took in her appearance. She smiled nervously and gave him a sheepish wave.

All Soul could do was gape at her, and Maka had a look of determination on her face when Wes started to guide her towards the table. 

“Wesley, what is the meaning of this?” Soul’s father’s voice was measured, yet undeniably full of irritation. 

“I apologize again, Father, but I invited Maka over for dinner tonight, on behalf of my dear baby brother here,” Wes slid an arm around Soul-- Well, as best as he could from his position. Soul sputtered in his seat, whipping around to give Wes the nastiest look to date. How dare he bring Maka into all of this shit, and without telling him first? He was dead meat. 

“And why would you need to invite Ms. Albarn for dinner on behalf of Soul, Wes?” Soul’s father asked, his gaze pinning them both from where he sat. 

“Well, because I felt that it was the polite thing to do, since she’s his girlfriend now and all,” Wes threw out casually, as if that information wouldn’t make Soul’s head explode. 

Soul’s jaw dropped to the floor as he stared at his brother in disbelief. 

“ _ What the fuck, Wes?”  _ Soul whispered. He was going to die, and it would all be Wes’s fault. 

“Is that so? Soul, when did this happen?” 

Soul snapped his mouth shut and he was positive that his face was a fantastic impersonation a fire truck. “Uh, yesterday?” 

Maka cleared her throat, “I can come back for dinner another night, Mr. Evans.” 

“Oh nonsense, Maka, you’re already here and dressed. Come, sit.” Wes pulled out the chair next to Soul and gestured for her to take a seat. 

With a huff, Soul’s father said, “I suppose you can stay for dinner. Take a seat, Ms. Albarn.”

“Thank you very much, Mr. Evans. I apologize for coming without your prior knowledge,” Maka said, her hands smoothing out the skirt of her dress when she was situated in her seat. 

“It’s quite alright, Ms. Albarn. This circumstance isn’t your fault.” Soul’s father shot daggers at Wes, and Soul winced in his seat. He didn’t know what Wes was thinking, or how he even found out about the plan, but he was gonna kick his ass after dinner. 

Soul turned his attention to Maka, who was placing her cloth napkin in her lap. She looked up at him and gave him a shaky smile, which he returned. She was nervous but she was still here, and he was so grateful that she hadn’t run for the hills yet. Directly in front of him, he could see Kim fuming silently in her seat. If looks could kill, Maka would be dead in seconds. 

Wes took his seat next to Soul, and Soul had to clench his hands into fists in his lap because he was  _ this close  _ to strangling Wes. Wes gave him a cheeky grin before jumping into the conversation happening at the table. 

He glared silently in Wes’s direction before feeling something grasp at his clenched fist. He turned around and saw Maka tentatively pry his hand open. Her ears turned pink as she entwined her fingers with his, and he swore that he saw her send a smug smile across the table for about half a second. 

He melted on the spot. He was  _ holding her hand  _ and he, somehow, was keeping his cool. He was interalizing his panic because they hadn’t talked about limits and rules or any of that junk, so he didn’t exactly know what was okay and what wasn’t yet, but he figured Maka would let him know later. He couldn’t help but stare at her because  _ wow, she put in all of this effort to look pretty.  _ **_For him_ ** . 

He knew that she hated all of that girly crap that Liz and Tsubaki always tried to push on her, so the fact that she was this dressed up spoke volumes. She looked at their linked hands and lifted her eyes to his. 

He knew he must’ve looked like cupid personally slapped him in the face but Soul couldn’t have cared less. This beautiful girl next to him was looking at him like he hung the moon and the stars for her, and he knew that he would do anything to make her look at him that way forever. He almost forgot that they were at the dinner table until Wes cleared his throat and elbowed him in the side.

Seconds later, with the fantasy in his mind shattered, reality suckerpunched him when he remembered that it was all an act; it was obvious that she was doing these coupley things to establish the lie that they were together. The butterflies in his stomach turned sour, and he suddenly was very interested in his napkin once again. 

\---

The rest of dinner went off without another hitch, and at the end of the night, the Evanses were escorting their guests outside to the front porch. The porch lights lit up when the group walked out of the house, and Mr. Diehl and Kim thanked Mr. Evans for dinner. 

“It was my pleasure, Wilford. We’ll catch up and talk about our business deal at a later date, yes?” Mr. Evans said as he shook his hand firmly.

“Of course we will. Come Kim, the car is waiting for us.”

“Yes, Father,” Kim said, her gaze shifting between Soul and Maka before she turned around and huffed to the car that was idling in Soul’s driveway. Wes waved them goodbye and immediately went into the house as soon as the car door slammed. 

Soul let out a sigh of relief. His hand was grasping Maka’s ever so slightly; her solid presence was comforting and he felt a pang of disappointment when she pulled away as soon as the Diehl’s car had driven away. 

“Thank you for dinner, Mr. Evans, and I apologize if I upset you in any way.” Maka looked Soul’s father in the eye and held out her hand.

He took it. “It’s okay, Ms. Albarn. This was an oversight concerning both of my sons, it seems. You seem like a fine young lady.”

“Thank you, Mr. Evans.” 

“If you’ll excuse me, I have to talk to Wesley about a few things,” Soul’s father said as he walked back into the house. 

The two teenagers were left alone on the porch. 

“I’ll-uh, walk you home?” Soul offered sheepishly.

Maka smiled. “I’d like that.”

They walked in silence towards Maka’s house for a few steps before he cracked and asked, “Okay Maks, please tell me how and why Wes invited you over for dinner without telling me first?” 

“Well, uh, I kind of...asked him to?”

Soul stopped in his tracks. “You did  _ what now _ ?”

Maka pulled her hair across her shoulder. “You looked like you wanted to go jump off of a cliff earlier today, and, well, I figured that if I’m gonna be your fake girlfriend, I might as well try to be there when you met this girl. You know, like...mark my nonexistent territory in a way?” 

“Okay I get that, but why ask Wes and not me? He isn’t even supposed to know about the plan!”

“I figured you would have asked me to be there, but you didn’t. I know you didn’t want Wes to know, but I felt like I had to do something. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Maka said. The rest of the short walk to her house was silent, and she reached the front steps of her porch. 

“Maka, wait.” 

He caught her wrist in an attempt to slow her down. She turned and watched him as he swallowed and ran a hair through his hair. 

“I just didn’t want you getting caught up in all of...this. Not yet, at least. I was gonna mention you casually at dinner, but I guess you and Wes beat me to the punch with that,” Soul said. 

She rolled her eyes. “Soul, you do realize that I agreed to this arrangement for a reason. How are we supposed to make this look real if I’m not there?”

She did have a point there, as much as it pained him to admit to himself. 

“You got me there. Thank you for coming tonight, I don’t think I could’ve made it through without you.”

“You’re welcome. Next time, just ask me. It’s what I’m here for,” Maka said, her fingers picking at lint from the skirt of her dress. 

“I will.” Soul’s reply was soft against the background noise of crickets chirping in the distance. She smiled at him before giving him a bone-crushing hug. 

“Goodnight, Soul.”

He breathed in her sweet smelling perfume before saying, “Goodnight, Maks,” and letting her go. 

She gave him one last wave from the top of the stairs and went inside. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop the stuttering of his heartbeat the entire way home. 

\---

Maka popped another pretzel into her mouth and bent over the spiral notebook in her lap. 

“Okay, so I guess this is the part where we establish some rules, right?” 

Soul peered over her shoulder as he dug around in the bag of pretzels, emerging with a hefty handful.

“Mm, I think so. What would that entail though?” Soul shoved a few pretzels in his mouth, getting crumbs all over the paper. Annoyed, Maka wiped them off. 

They were currently inside Maka’s old treehouse, and needless to say, it was a little more cramped than either of them remembered it being. However, it was the only place where they could do this without prying eyes. 

“Well, I guess we start with stuff that we’re comfortable with and not comfortable with?” Maka suggested.

“Okay...Well, uhm…” Soul really didn’t know what to say, since he literally had no line to cross, no boundaries. He trusted her completely, but he didn’t want to project his feelings onto her either. He decided that he was going to follow her lead on this one. 

“Uh..okay. Uhm, I guess I’ll go first. I’m fine with pretty much any type of PDA. Hand holding, close proximity, the works. It’s not gonna be much different from the usual anyways, right?” 

“I mean, I guess not? What about...what about kissing? ‘Cause that’s...not normal.” Soul could feel his heartbeat speed up at the thought, and he held his breath as he awaited her response. 

Maka choked on the pretzel she was chewing. Not the response he was hoping for, if he was being honest. He tapped her on the back a few times while she was hacking up half a lung, and he sat back dejectedly when she could breathe again. 

“We don’t have to do it Maka, I was just asking.” Soul leaned his body away from hers, which didn’t really do much because the treehouse was so small. 

“No, no...you just caught me by surprise. Kissing..is fine.” Maka’s voice squeaked, and she was starting to resemble a tomato. 

“Cool.” 

He wanted to slap himself.  _ Cool? Really??? Just kill him now, because that was the lamest response ever. Put him out of his misery. _

“Right...so…” The air around the two turned awkward, and Soul hated it with every fiber of his being. In all the time he’s known Maka, nothing had ever been awkward or uncomfortable like this. 

So, he did what he usually did. When she was concentrating on writing in her notebook, he pulled at her pigtail and looked away innocently when she cried out with an agitated “Hey!”

“What? Something wrong, Maks?” 

She sputtered, slapping at his shoulder in annoyance. “Y-you pulled my pigtail! What are we, eight again?!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Soul replied coyly. 

“You really are a child, aren’t you?”

Soul burst into laughter when he took in her irritated expression, and she eventually dissolved into a few giggles herself. 

When their laughter subsided, the mood was calmer. More comfortable, which was much better. They spent a few seconds in the silence, and Soul could feel Maka inching closer to him, forgotten notebook and bag of pretzels lying next to her foot. 

“So...the kissing part,” she started, “do you think we’ll be able to pull it off? I mean, I don’t have much practice with stuff like that.”

“Well, we could always practice now?...You know, so that we don’t look like idiots in case we have to kiss in front of people?” Soul said, searching her eyes for any discomfort.

“Yeah, we could...I mean- only if you’re okay with that?” she said, her head dipping slightly.

“I’m okay with that.” Soul’s voice dropped significantly, and he scooted closer to Maka. Holy shit, this was happening. 

With his heart beating out of his chest, he built up enough courage to put his hand on her cheek and raise her face so that they were inches apart. 

“Is this really okay?”

Maka closed her eyes and breathed out the word “yes”, and that was all he needed before he closed the distance between them. 

He tilted her head slightly and kissed her softly for a few seconds before he pulled back, his head spinning in circles. 

“Are you okay, Maka?” He whispered against her lips.

She nodded her head and took a deep breath, her half lidded gaze trained on Soul’s lips. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Maka replied airily, her eyes dilating as she continued to stare at him. 

“Was that...okay?”

“Mm, yeah..I think we should practice more, though, don’t you? I don’t think I got the hang of it yet...”

“Oh...Well in that case...” He trailed off as he put his hand back on her jaw and kissed her again, more soundly than the last time. 

She started to move her lips against his and, oh boy, he thought he could handle this but  _ he can’t _ . For someone who apparently didn’t have much practice, he could tell that she was making up for it in  _ enthusiasm.  _ She was going to kill him, lord have mercy. 

He pulled back, and his lips were barely grazing hers. He could feel her erratic pulse under his fingers and he got an idea.

“Hey, Maka...Do you trust me?”

She gave him a look of distracted confusion before nodding her head. He dove right back to her lips, and one of her hands came up to grip at his bicep to steady herself. Her other hand rested on top of his, and his pulse jumped at the contact. 

Overcome with a surge of confidence, he slid his tongue between her lips. She squeaked in surprise against his mouth – he damn near had a heart attack because he thought he’d crossed a line -- but she only opened up for him more, a strangled sound coming from a place deep in her throat. 

Something primal within him sang, and he let out his own soft hum from the back of his throat and continued to kiss her. 

The minutes passed like hours, and he kept alternating between soft, slow kisses and little pecks on her nose, mouth, and cheeks. 

Eventually, he pulled himself away from her.

“D-Do you think you got it now?” Soul asked, his breaths coming in small pants.

“I..I think I do. Thank you, Soul,” she replied, their breaths mingling together in the small space. 

“You’re welcome.” 

They sat there in silence, and his heart was still beating like a bongo drum. He was trying not to freak out, but he was also still trying to process the fact that he had kissed Maka Albarn. No, wait-- he had just  _ made out  _ with Maka Albarn. His world was at a standstill, and all he could think about was her. Her sweet laugh and her cute pigtails. Her confident attitude and the way she makes him feel safe. Her kiss-swollen lips and the fact that he’s the one who made them that way. All he could think about was her and-- 

He really needed to jump in the lake. 


	4. Chapter 4

The wave of water produced by Soul as he jumped from the ledge almost drenched the group of girls who were sunbathing on the bank. 

“Hey, watch where you’re jumping, Soul!” Liz shook her fist in Soul’s direction. 

“Oh, my bad!” Soul replied, wiping away the water from his eyes and smiling.

Maka looked over the rims of her sunglasses and took a moment to admire her (fake) boyfriend’s chest, which was currently glistening in the sunlight. A little peek couldn’t hurt right? After all, that’s nothing compared to what happened in her treehouse a couple of weeks ago. She could still feel the phantom pressure of his lips and it haunted her endlessly. 

It was so unfair.

How did she end up here, lying on the bank with her friends and a girl who looked like she wanted to rip Maka’s face off? Well, she honestly didn’t have a clue.  
One minute the group was planning a camping trip in the woods, and the next, Kim Diehl was tagging along with them. She had been at Soul’s house with her father when she overheard their conversation.   
“Oh, a camping trip! Sounds like a good time, do you mind if I come along? Everyone on the other side of the lake is so _boring_ ,” Kim said, batting her eyelashes in Soul’s direction. Maka shuffled closer to Soul and grabbed his hand. 

“Uh, I dunno, it’s kind of our...thing. Like a friend group...thing.” Soul looked awkward as hell, trying to let this girl down as gently as possible. The universe loved to throw wrenches in their plans though, because before Soul could bail out of the conversation, his father piped up.  
“I think that’s a wonderful idea, Ms. Diehl. My son would be _delighted_ to take you with him and his little friends. Isn’t that right, Soul?” Soul’s father’s tone of voice appeared to be chipper and polite, but everyone could see the murderous intent gleaming in his eyes if Soul dared to refuse or argue with him.   
Maka squeezed his hand, and he sighed, “Yeah, sure. You can come.”   
Back then, Maka wanted to snap this girl’s neck. Jealousy was not a good look on her. 

Presently, however, Maka snapped out of her reverie when another wave of water threatened to drench the girls again. She sat up and marched over to the lake, sunglasses in her hand while her big, floppy hat shaded her face from the sun.  
“Guys, will you knock it off? You’re going to get us wet!” Maka huffed, hands on her hips. 

Blackstar snickered at her words. “Heh, that’s what she said.”   
Maka squinted her eyes in his direction. “Oh yeah, real mature Blackstar. What are you, twelve?”

“And a half!” he exclaimed, his hand coming up to splash water in her direction. Caught off guard, Maka took a wall of water to the face, and she squealed in surprise and anger.  
“Oh that’s it, you jackass, come here!” She threw her hat and sunglasses to the side before diving in after Blackstar. He swam away before she could reach him, and she felt a pair of strong arms holding her back from chasing after him. Turning around, she saw Soul looking at her with an evil glint in his eye before he dunked her in the cold water.   
Maka flailed helplessly, trapped in his arms and at his mercy. 

“Thanks for the assist, dudebro!” Blackstar yelled at Soul from the distance.  
“Let me go!” Maka screamed, trying her best to wriggle her way out of Soul’s grasp. This was simultaneously a good and bad idea. Good because she was gaining ground in the fight to escape, but bad because in doing so, she was skin to skin with Soul and essentially rubbing herself all over him. She just _had_ to wear the bikini today, didn’t she?   
Her traitorous mind flashed to the treehouse and she promptly stopped squirming and accepted her defeat. Her cheeks started heating up at the notice of a swirling warmness deep in her belly, as if she has swallowed a shot of Fireball whiskey. Well, that was new. 

Her arms were pinned between her body and Soul’s chest, and his arms kept her in place. She looked up at him, her face and hair soaking wet. She felt everyone’s eyes fall on them, waiting for her next move since she wasn’t struggling anymore. Her gaze crossed with Kim’s, and an idea popped in her head.   
Wordlessly, she slumped against Soul’s chest and waited for his arms to relax a bit before tilting her head up and kissing him. Faintly, she could hear a collective gasp, but the sound of the blood rushing in her ears masked their friends’ reactions.   
Surprised, Soul took a moment to regain his wits and kiss her back, a hand coming up to cup the back of her neck and the other going to hold her by the waist. In that instant, Maka tore away from him and lunged at Blackstar, who had crept up next to the pair. A scream and a splash later, Maka had Blackstar in a headlock.  
“Okay, okay! I give! Uncle! Maka!” Blackstar pleaded between bouts of being dunked head first into the water. Maka ignored him and simply dunked his head in again.   
\---

Hours later, they hiked back into the forest and went to their campsite. Down the trail, there was a station where everyone could shower and use the restroom, but other than that, they were surrounded by trees. In the daylight, everything looked beautiful. At night, however, the forest had a way of spooking the living daylights out of anyone who didn’t have a flashlight, lantern, or fire to illuminate the darkness.   
 Maka stood up from her crouched position and examined the tent she just pitched. After deeming it acceptable, she made her way to the fire that was roaring in the middle of the campground. 

“Oi, Maks, do you want a s’more?” Blackstar asked, his eyes never leaving the marshmallow on the stick that he held over the fire. At the rate that it was burning, the marshmallow was going to taste like charcoal. 

“As long as I get to cook my own marshmallow,” Maka replied, snagging a couple of marshmallows and a metal skewer from the table before making her way to the fire. Blackstar rolled his eyes.

“A s’more isn’t a s’more if the marshmallow isn’t burnt to hell, everyone knows that.” Blackstar pulled the burnt marshmallow from the fire and started to construct his s’more. 

Maka gagged behind him before sitting on a log, lightly toasting her marshmallows. Off to the distance, she could see Kim struggling to pitch her tent. Maka’s eyes scanned the area and saw her friends resolutely ignoring Kim’s grunts and huffs of frustration. She turned her head to Blackstar and he gave her a look that said  _ I’m not touching that with a ten-foot pole, my dude _ .

Maka held back from releasing an exasperated sigh and held her skewer in Blackstar’s direction. He took it, gave her a mock salute, and proceeded to stick the marshmallows deep into the fire. 

She walked over to where Kim was struggling and cleared her throat.   
“Hey, do you need some help?”   
Kim looked up from where she was struggling on the ground.

“I-uh, I’m fine,” she said, turning her gaze towards the mess of a tent on the ground.  
Maka watched her struggle for a few more seconds before crouching next to her.  
“You can use my tent if you want. I can figure something else out.”  
“I don’t want to impose,” Kim said with uncertainty. 

Maka sighed and held out her hand.

“It's not an imposition, I'm just trying to help you out.”

Kim stared at Maka's hand before grabbing it and getting up to her feet. 

“Well, alright then.” 

The two girls packed up the mess of a tent from the ground and Maka went to her own tent to remove her items from inside. 

“Maka, what are you doing?”   
She turned and saw Soul’s confused expression. 

“Oh, uh-I’m letting Kim use my tent. I was gonna ask Tsubaki if I could bunk with her.”  
Blackstar cut in from the campfire, “No can do Maks, Baki is bunking with me this time.”  
Maka’s eyebrows trailed upwards and she sent Tsubaki an inquisitive look. Tsubaki’s cheeks pinked and she shrugged.   
“Why don’t you stay with Soul?” Liz asked from the opening in her tent.   
Maka glanced at Soul and waited for his response.

“I don’t mind sharing my tent,” Soul said with a shrug. She felt herself exhale softly in relief.

“Well, if you’re okay with it...” Maka trailed off.   
She grabbed her things and started to place them in Soul’s tent. She shouldn’t have felt weird, considering they used to share tents all the time when they were younger, but she was getting butterflies in her stomach. 

With her sleeping bag and her things situated, she joined the rest of her friends at the campfire, grabbing another skewer and a handful of marshmallows from the table on her way. 

Sitting next to Soul, Maka stabbed the marshmallows onto the skewer and held them gingerly to the fire. From across the flames, she could see Kim watching her intently. She stared back until Kim’s attention flickered over to Blackstar, who was telling a ghost story to try to spook everyone before bedtime. So far, he wasn’t succeeding, but Maka enjoyed listening to him talk anyway as she chewed on her s’more.   
In classic Blackstar form, he was holding a flashlight under his face and trying his best to spice up his story with hand movement and funny faces. 

“Let me tell ya how you know the Hash Slinging Slasher is coming...First, the lights will flicker on and off…” Blackstar flicked his flashlight off and then back on repeatedly. “Next, the phone will ring and there will be nobody there…” From behind Blackstar, Tsubaki holds up her cell phone and a dial tone rings throughout the campsite. “Finally, the Hash Slinging Slasher arrives in the ghost of the bus that ran him over...and do you know what happens next, guys?” Blackstar asked ominously.   
Maka rolled her eyes and tried to contain the smirk forming at the corners of her lips. She’s heard this story a million times, but she guessed that he was pulling out an old, reliable story because of Kim. Maka watched her listen to Blackstar’s story intently and noticed a little movement behind Kim’s back. From Makas’s vantage point, she could see Patty crouched and ready for Blackstar’s signal.   
“Oh no, what happens next, Blackstar?” Maka humored him for the sake of seeing how the situation played out.   
“Do you really want to know?”

Kim was at the edge of her seat, too proud to urge Blackstar to continue, yet intrigued all the same.   
Blackstar paused for dramatic effect before continuing, “He...gets ya!”  
With those words, Patty sprung up behind Kim and tickled her sides. Kim jumped from her seat with a terrified screech, which was mildly drowned out by everyone else’s laughter.   
“Oh, what the hell guys!” Kim yelled from across the campsite. Her expression was flipping between being annoyed and terrified at the same time.   
Blackstar cackled. “Sorry, I haven’t had fresh blood to tell that story to in a while, that was awesome!”

Kim huffed and crossed her arms. “I wasn’t even paying attention to it anyway, I just got scared because of Patty.”  
“Sure, Jan,” Blackstar snickered.   
Kim narrowed her eyes. “Do you ever stop being annoying?”  
Soul cut in, “No, no he doesn’t.”

Maka nodded her head in agreement and started to clean the s’mores ingredients from the table.   
“Honestly, you learn to either ignore it or just accept it.”

Kim hummed and shot Blackstar a judging look before announcing that she was going to try to sleep.   
Watching everyone else turn in for the night, Maka hung back and stared at the opening of her tent.   
“You coming, Maka?” Soul poked his head out from the opening of the tent.  
“Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute.” Maka finished packing up the food and made her way over to Kim’s tent.  
“Knock, knock. Can I come in for a sec?” she asked.  
The zipper of the tent opened slightly.   
“If you want,” came the reply.  
Maka unzipped the tent enough to slide in and she sat just inside the entrance.   
“Look, I know you don’t like me. So, really, you don’t have to listen to what I have to say but I just wanted to apologize on Blackstar’s behalf. He’s sort of an acquired taste, but he’s a good guy. I’m sorry about earlier.”  
“Don’t worry about it. Truth be told, I’ve never been to something like this before so I don’t hear a lot of ghost stories. I was more spooked about being tickled than anything else,” Kim chuckled softly. Her body language screamed that she was uncomfortable, yet Maka couldn’t help but keep talking. 

“I’ll tell Blackstar to cool it with the ghost stories.” Maka made to get up from her spot near the entrance. “Well, I guess that’s all for now. Have a good night, Kim.”  
“Maka,” Kim started, “I have something to say.”  
Maka paused and turned to Kim once more.

“What’s up?”  
Kim bit her lip. “I know you and Soul are pretending to be a couple.”  
Maka’s heart stopped.   
“What are you talking about?”

“You and Soul aren’t actually a couple. It’s okay, I accidentally overheard the Thompson sisters talking about it earlier.”  
Maka loved the Thompson sisters, but she wanted to strangle them at that moment. She supposed there was no use in lying anymore, then.

“Okay...So what are you gonna do, now that you know we were lying?”

“Well, nothing. Truth be told, my father made me flirt with Soul because of his stupid business deal with Mr. Evans. I’m telling you this because even though you guys were pretending, I can tell that you really like him.”  
Maka started to sputter. “I-I don’t- How dare- No way!”  
Kim scoffed. “Girl, stop lying to yourself. I see the way you look at him.”  
“I just look at him like I always do,” Maka said petulantly.   
“Anyways, your big, fat crush aside, I won’t tell my father or Mr. Evans. Mostly because, well, I was wrong about you. I thought you were just some bimbo that was getting in the way of me doing what I was supposed to do for my father. After spending some time with you, I realized that you’re actually pretty cool.”  
Maka gave her a small smile. “Well, thanks. You’re not half bad yourself.”  
“Thanks. You should get back to your tent, Soul must be getting worried.”  
Maka nodded and made to get up once more.   
“Thanks for not telling, by the way. You have no idea how much this means to Soul. He and his father don’t have the best relationship.”

“Don’t mention it. Have a good night, Maka.”

“Goodnight, Kim.” Maka climbed out of the tent and immediately crawled into Soul’s tent, zipping the entrance shut for the night.   
“Everything alright?” Soul asked from his sleeping bag.  
“Yeah, everything’s good. I just wanted to let Kim know that Blackstar isn’t that much of a jackass as he presents himself to be,” Maka replied, getting settled into her sleeping bag. She turned over so that she and Soul were lying face to face.  
“I have something to confess, Soul,” Maka said, staring into his eyes.   
Soul hesitated before speaking. “Yes?”

“Kim knows that we’re pretending. She heard Liz and Patty talking about it apparently. She said she wouldn’t tell her father or yours about it though.”  
Soul exhaled and relief flooded his face.  
“Oh, that’s all? Well, at least we won’t have to pretend in front of Kim anymore, I thought she was staring daggers through you all night.”  
Maka’s stomach twisted and she held back a frown. Why did his statement bother her so much, that they wouldn’t have to pretend anymore. She should be relieved but instead was filled with dread because she _liked_ pretending with him. She also thought that he was kind of enjoying it as well, but maybe she was wrong, considering the relief that was painted on his face. 

“Yes, well, glad to see that you’re so happy to stop pretending. Didn’t realize it was that horrible to pretend to date me.” Maka’s clipped tone filled the tent and she turned around so that her back was to Soul.   
From behind Maka’s back, Soul’s face morphed into a bewildered expression.  
“Whoa, what the hell are you talking about?”  
“You looked pretty damned relieved when I told you about Kim, so you’re off the hook. I’ll pretend around your father but that’s it. Goodnight, Soul.”

“I’m so fucking confused, what’s your deal, Maka?”

Maka stayed silent and refused to speak. Mostly because if she did, she feared that her voice would crack with emotion.

“Maka?...Maka.” Soul paused for a few moments, and after realizing she was refusing to speak, he said, “Fine, whatever. Goodnight.”

He turned around and Maka waited until she could hear his breathing even out before crying silently to herself in the darkness. 


	5. Chapter 5

It had been a few days since the camping trip, and Maka still refused to talk to Soul or hang out with the group. Call her a coward, but she just couldn’t handle being around Soul knowing that he wanted nothing more than this ruse to be over and done with. As if she wasn’t good enough. 

“Maka, you have a visitor!” Spirit called from downstairs.

“I’m not here, Papa,” Maka called back. 

Suddenly, her door opened, revealing Tsubaki in the doorway. 

“Nice try, Maka,” Tsubaki said, walking in and closing the door gently. 

Maka sat up from her position in bed, scooting over to make room for Tsubaki to sit. 

“Maka, what’s wrong with you? You’ve ignored every single text we’ve sent and Soul has been in the foulest mood I’ve ever seen him in,” Tsubaki said. 

“Tsu...I’m sorry I’ve been ignoring you guys. It’s just that Soul finally told me how he really feels about pretending to date me and it kind of stung. He can’t wait until this whole thing is over with,” Maka replied bitterly. 

“Maka, are you sure that’s what he said? He’s been pretty bummed out since we got back, and I can tell he misses you. He keeps staring at your house when we’re all together.”

Maka looked at Tsubaki, not knowing how to reply.

“I think you need to talk to him,” Tsubaki gently suggested.

“I’ll think about it.” Maka wrapped her comforter around herself, making a Maka blanket burrito.   
“I guess that’s all I can ask for.” Tsubaki sighed. “But Maka, I have a question for you.”

Maka hummed from her blanket burrito.

“Is the reason why you’re upset because you have feelings for Soul?”

Maka poked her head out from her blanket. 

“Tsubaki, I’m going to be completely honest. I love Soul with all of my heart, and pretending like this is making it hurt so much.”

Tsubaki wrapped her arms around Maka. “I’m so sorry, Maka. If I had known, I wouldn’t have let Blackstar pressure you into this situation.”

“It’s not your fault, I knew what I was getting myself into.”

“Still,” Tsubaki said, “It wasn’t fair to you.”

Maka shrugged. “I’ll be alright, just give me some time.”

All Tsubaki could do was nod and continue to hug her. 

\---

“It’s been almost a week, I can’t take this anymore guys!”

Soul got up from his lawn chair and started to pace around his backyard, the rest of the group watching him intently. 

“I know this sucks right now, but you can’t just force Maka to be okay and hang out with us again,” Liz piped up from her lawn chair. 

“Yeah, I know, but I don’t even know what’s wrong in the first place! We were fine and then she did a 180 during the camping trip.”

Liz and Tsubaki gave each other a knowing look, but settled back into their chairs.

“Think  _ really _ hard about what you said to her and why she’s so upset,” Tsubaki said.

Soul stopped in his tracks and turned towards Tsubaki.

“That’s all I’ve been doing since we got back! Do you have any idea what it’s like to have someone you love be  _ so _ mad at you and have no idea how to fix it?”

“Whoa, bro, you love Maka?” Blackstar asked, sitting up in his chair.

Soul blinked for a few seconds, processing what he just said. 

“Uh--yeah, yeah I do. There’s no use in denying it anymore, I guess.”

Kid sighed. “Honestly, Soul, in the words of Blackstar, ‘we been knew’. This isn’t world-shattering information for us.”

A chorus of agreement erupted from the group, and Soul plopped back down into his chair. 

“Guys, what do I do?”

“I think I have an idea,” Liz said.

\---

Maka looked down at her breakfast, pushing her eggs around on her plate. She was so tired of being inside her house, yet she couldn’t bring herself to reach out to her friends. 

“Sweetheart, are you okay? You’ve barely eaten anything on your plate,” Spirit said, placing a stack of warm pancakes on the table in front of her. 

“Yeah, I’m fine, just not very hungry right now,” Maka said, giving her father a small smile. 

Maka knew she would have to go outside sooner or later, if only to stave off her boredom. Maybe she would try to sneak off to Horse’s Head in her boat, or try to find that little island in the middle of the lake that she and Soul discovered a few years ago, or--

There was a loud knocking on the door, and Maka watched her father open the door and eventually let Tsubaki inside the house. 

“Hey, Tsu, what’s up?” Maka said, taking her plate of unfinished food to the sink.

“I need you to come with me.”

Maka felt a twinge of fear go through her body. Tsubaki’s no nonsense tone left little room for argument. 

“Is something wrong?”

“No, I just need you to come, no questions asked.”

Something was definitely wrong, especially if Tsubaki was asking her to go, no questions asked. The last ‘no questions asked’ request ended with Maka and Liz rescuing Blackstar from the forest, where they found him clad in emoji underwear and warpaint. That was a weird day. 

Maka followed Tsubaki outside to her backyard, and she stopped dead in her tracks. Maka’s treehouse was decorated with ribbons and balloons, the trail leading to the ladder covered in rose petals. 

“What’s all of this?” Maka asked, her eyes taking in the sight in disbelief.

“Just go inside,” Tsubaki prompted, giving Maka a slight push.

Maka clambered up the ladder and entered the treehouse. Inside, she was met with more rose petals scattered about and an envelope. She grabbed the envelope and climbed back down to Tsubaki. 

“Okay, I’m really confused. Tsu, what’s going on?”

“You’ll find out as soon as you open the envelope,” Tsubaki replied. 

Huffing, Maka opened the envelope.

_ Maka, _

_ I’m sorry for what I said at the campsite. This week has been literal hell, and I miss you so damn much. Follow the instructions I’m about to tell you, okay? Go to the place where we first met, all those years ago. There’s someone waiting for you to find the next envelope. Also, turn this card over. _

_ Soul _

Maka’s heart was beating out of her chest, and she felt herself start to smile. Flipping the card over, she read the message.

 

_ Every time you smile, it reminds me of sunshine. Bright, yet warm.  _

 

She gave a breathy laugh, and turned to Tsubaki. 

“What are you guys up to?”

Tsubaki tutted, “Uh-uh, no questions. Go follow his instructions.”

Tsubaki gave Maka a hug before shooing her away. Maka knew exactly where she was going next. 

She made her way to the gate that separated her and Soul’s backyards and crossed over. Sitting by the window was Blackstar, an envelope sitting next to him as he played on his phone. Maka cleared her throat, and Blackstar jumped.

“Oh, finally. Took ya long enough,” Blackstar grumbled. 

“Shut up, Blackstar. I believe you have something for me?”

“Yeah, I do. But first, I require payment.”

“Payment?”

Blackstar smirked, “Yeah. You want this envelope? It’s gonna cost ya one quality meme.”

Maka couldn’t believe it. 

“Are you serious, Blackstar?”

Cackling, Blackstar handed her the envelope. “Of course not, Maks. I fuck up a lot of shit with my awesomeness, but not something like this. Open it.”

_ Remember how we met? I was 5 and stuck inside the foyer practicing piano. All of a sudden, I hear knocking on the window and I see a couple of pigtails right outside. It was you, waving at me to come play outside, so I did. I got into so much trouble for that, but it was worth it. It’s my favorite day because that’s the day I met my best friend. Go to the whiteboard. _

_ P.S., No matter what hairstyle you choose, you always look beautiful. Although, I guess I am partial to the pigtails. _

“You’re getting all mushy now, go to the whiteboard before you start to cry,” Blackstar said, turning her around and giving her a gentle push. 

Wiping her eyes, Maka walked around the shed to where the whiteboard was and was met with the Thompson sisters. Placed on the whiteboard were various pictures from throughout the years. 

Pictures of Maka and Soul wrestling in the grass when they were 8, catching fireflies with Spirit when they were 11, various selfies with hilarious faces, and a few candid pictures that Maka had never seen before were hanging in a timeline right in front of Maka’s eyes. She felt her eyes start to water and she looked through the memories, her eyes landing on the new pictures she had never seen before. 

The one that made her breath catch in her throat was the last one, most likely taken at the beginning of summer. Maka was drenched and had a towel around her head, looking off to the side. Next to her, Soul was looking at her with the fondest smile she’d ever seen. 

“I think this is yours,” Patty said, handing her the envelope.

“Thanks, guys,” Maka said, fighting the tears that were springing in her eyes.

 

_ I think the pictures say it all. I can’t imagine a life without you, Maks. Go find your chariot, Cinderella. (That’s probably a confusing clue, go to the jet skis.) _

_ P.S., You’re the smartest nerd that I know, and that’s one of my favorite things about you. I’ll listen to every boring fact you know, as long as I get to hear your voice.  _

 

Laughing out loud, Maka put the card back into the envelope. 

“He’s a poetic genius, huh?” Liz said, leaning against the shed.

“He tries his best, you should’ve seen the poem he had to write for English last year,” Maka said. 

“Off you go, you’re not done yet!” Patty said, pointing towards the dock.

Maka gave them both a hug before making her way to the dock. There, she was met with Kid, who was standing next to the post that held the keys to the jetskis.

“Hello, Maka. I believe this is for you,” Kid said, handing her the last envelope.

_ Congrats, you made it this far. There’s only one thing left to do, meet me at Horse’s Head. There’s a secret I have to tell you.  _

_ P.S., You should probably hurry, because my heart’s beating out of my chest. I’m waiting for you, Angel.  _

Kid held out the key to his sport ski, and Maka took it gratefully. Climbing onto the jetski, she revved the engine and started making her way to the cliff. 

Minutes later, she was anchoring the jetski on the bank, and Maka looked up at the rock formation. From where she was standing, she guessed that he was at the very top. Thankful that she had decided on wearing her sensible shoes, she made it to the top, where Soul was sitting on the edge with a bouquet of roses next to him.

“Soul?” Maka said, careful not to startle him, lest he fell off the edge.

Soul turned around and started to stand up, grabbing the bouquet on his way up.

“Maka,” Soul breathed out. If she didn’t know any better, she would have guessed that he was cool as a cucumber.

“What was all of this about?” Maka asked, holding up the stack of envelopes.

Soul took a deep breath, his face morphing into pure determination. 

“Maka, I’m tired of holding this inside. I’m tired of pining and wishing that I had the courage to just come out and say how I feel. You don’t have to reciprocate, but I want to let you know this. I love you. I’ve loved you for a long time now, and all of this pretending to be together is killing me. It’s killing me because it feels so real, and when I realize that it’s not, it hurts. So, here I am, putting my heart on my sleeve. I love you, Maka Albarn.”

“Soul, the only reason I got upset during the camping trip was because I thought that you didn’t want to fake date me anymore. I got upset because it hurt. I’m sorry for ignoring you and the others, I just couldn’t pretend like everything was okay,” Maka said, fighting back her tears that had started to stream down her cheeks. 

Soul stepped closer to her and wiped away the moisture with the pad of his thumb. 

“Maka, it’s okay. Please don’t cry.” Soul held out the bouquet out to her.

She took it with a watery smile. 

“You remembered that I love roses,” she said, taking a big whiff from the center. 

“Yeah, I did. So, are we okay now?” Soul asked, his free hand coming up to rest on her arm. 

“Not quite. There’s still something else that I have to tell you,” Maka said.

Before Soul could respond, she leaned up and kissed him. 

“I love you, Soul Evans.”

He grinned and swooped in for another kiss, his arms winding around her frame perfectly.

“Maka, will you be my girlfriend? For real this time?”

“Let me think about it…” Maka said, pausing for dramatic effect. Soul’s expression was a mixture of exasperated and fond.

“Well, the verdict?”

“My answer is yes,” Maka said with a grin. 

Soul leaned in once more, whispering against her lips. 

“Best summer ever.” 

Maka couldn’t have agreed more. 


End file.
